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Query: UNIPROT:P56851 (epididymal)
 11,273 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The effect of guanethidine (a sympatholytic agent) on epididymal contractions was studied in rats, in order to contribute new data on the role of both the adrenergic and cholinergic nerves in the spontaneous motility of the epididymis and also during ejaculation. The first type of activity was increased when adrenergic innervation was damaged, but the amplitude and frequency of contractions reached normal values approximately 3 hours after beginning the records. Since spermatozoa were eliminated after electroejaculation, the second type of contractions was not affected either. As the epididymis and vas deferens were congested with spermatozoa, it is possible to assume that guanethidine caused a functional obstruction in a distal segment of the genital tract. The increase of spontaneous activity could be the response of the epididymal muscle to overcome this obstruction and, therefore, to cause the elimination of spermatozoa into the urethra, which normally occurs in absence of ejaculations. Finally, no pregnancies occurred among female rats mated with treated males, at least up to 150 days after ending treatment.
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PMID:Contractile behaviour of rat epididymis after sympathectomy produced by the administration of guanethidine. 53 86

As a base line for future cell genetical studies the authors record the distribution of non-specific esterase reaction in the various histologically distinguishable cell types of the mouse epididymis. The findings are correlated with previous descriptions of the lobar structure of the organ. Assuming the sequence of lobes of the head to be as implied in these classical descriptions, the esterase activity of the epithelial cells gradates between strong to weak several times along the length of the epididymal duct. The relationship of the lobes to each other, as seen in transverse sections, is described. Methodological studies using different fixatives indicate that apparent similarity of esterase reaction at different sites may camouflage an underlying difference in the nature of the esterases at these sites.
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PMID:Histochemical studies on genetical control of hormonal enzyme inducibility in the mouse. I. Non-specific esterase activity and regional histology of the epididymis. 56 39

The electrophoretic mobility, effect of pronase, temperature stability, affinity constant and specificity of androgen-binding protein (ABP) were compared in rete testis fluid (RTF), cauda epididymal plasma (CEP) and seminal plasma (SP) of the ram in which the levels of ABP, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), total protein and the number of spermatozoa were also measured. The characteristics of the ABP appeared to be almost identical in all 3 fluids. ABP was highly concentrated in the cauda epididymidis although 50-75% of it was utilized or destroyed during transit through the epididymis. The levels of ABP were higher in the breeding season and positively correlated with DHT in RTF and SP. It is concluded that ABP might be responsible for the increase in DHT in the reproductive tract of the ram during the breeding season and that ABP in the SP might serve as a useful marker of Sertoli cell function in the ram.
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PMID:Biochemical and physiological studies of androgen-binding protein in the reproductive tract of the ram. 57 51

The spontaneous contractility of the rat epididymis was recorded in vivo and the effects of cyproterone acetate were studied. At 7 days after cyproterone acetate daily administration the records of the epididymal contractility did not show significant differences from the records obtained in control animals. On the contrary, in animals injected during 11 days the amplitude and frequency of epididymal contractions showed a significant decrease, and this activity completely ceased at 14 days of treatment.
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PMID:Effects of cyproterone acetate on spontaneous contractility of the rat epididymis. 59 60

The specific activities of three acid phosphatases were followed in the epididymis of growing rats. All activities were constantly rising but revealed two steeper parts probably corresponding to the increase of androgen secretion and the arrival of spermatozoa in the epididymis. Simultaneously an increase in the histochemical staining was obtained in all epididymal segments. Both biochemical and histochemical studies showed that castration reduced the activity of all acid phosphatases and this could be restored with testosterone-estradiol treatment. Estradiol had no effect on the activities in the castrated animal, but in the normal animal it caused an elevation of Enzyme I activity. In the histochemical study estradiol seemed to restore the acid phosphatase activity. Enzyme I reacted slower than the others to both castration and hormone treatment. Increased elimination caused by ligation of the epididymis caused a reduction in the activity of all enzymes within four days. It was greatest in the area of the corpus. This study, however, rendered no further elucidation for the assumption that acid phosphatases participate in the elimination of excessive and defective spermatozoa.
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PMID:Acid phosphatase of the rat epididymis. III. Histochemical and biochemical responses in experimental conditions. 59 63

Two cases of epididymal sarcoidosis, presenting as scrotal masses, are described. Biopsies of the epididymis and scalene nodes established the diagnosis. The literature of epididymal sarcoid and its differential diagnosis is discussed.
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PMID:Epididymal sarcoidosis: a report of two cases and a review of the literature. 61 60

The levels of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 5alpha-androstan-3alpha,17beta-diol and androgen-binding protein (ABP) were measured in various segments of the epididymis from adult rats which had been unilaterally orchidectomized for 4 weeks. On the 'intact' side, ABP concentrations were highest in the caput region. The segmental distribution of DHT closely followed that of ABP with the highest concentration in the caput (40 ng/g tissue) and lowest in the cauda (10 ng/g tissue) epididymidis. There was a high degree of correlation (r = 0.98) between the concentration of DHT in the epididymis and ABP levels. 'Castration' completely abolished the DHT gradient. The levels of testosterone and androstanediol were lower than those of DHT; most was present in the corpus epididymidis. The relative differences were reduced after 'castration'. It is concluded that ABP in the rat epididymis is the primary factor for determining the concentration of DHT in the epididymal fluid.
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PMID:Androgens and androgen-binding protein in the rat epididymis. 62 98

Stereology is a method to obtain quantitative information of structural changes at the light and electron microscopic level. The basic principles of stereology are outlined below. This paper shows how stereologic techniques can be used to obtain structural data from histologic and electron micrographs of intact tissue and cells. A stereologic model, which provides information on the structure of the epididymis has been developed for the rat epididymal head. The model consists of morphologically defined space and membrane compartments of the rat epididymal head and the principal cells. The alterations, induced in the principal cell of the epididymal head after long term hypophysectomy were studied by electron microscopy. The results presented are relative to a cubic centimeter of epididymal tissue, a cubic centimeter of principal cells and principal cell cytoplasm. An attempt to relate stereologic and biochemical data is shown.
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PMID:Stereology: a new quantitative morphological method to study epididymal function. 62 11

morphologic comparisons of the live and dead sperm population gives information concerning non-lethal and lethal abnormalities. Many of the abnormalities of the sperm heads and midpieces and in particular enlarged heads belong to the latter group. On the other hand, tapering of the head, cytoplasmic droplets and abnormal tails have littel lethal significance. Depletion of the extra-gonadal sperm reserve does not affect the morphology of neither the living nor the dead spermatozoa. This indicates that no significant abnormalities develop after sperm maturation within the epididymis. Cyproterone acetate was shown to affect midpieces and fails of the living spermatozoa within two weeks of treatment indicating an effect on the epididymal level, whereas abnormal heads increase after four weeks indicating an effect on the germinative epithelium, not before the spermatid stage.
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PMID:On the development of different morphologic abnormalities of human spermatozoa. 62 12

Sex reversed mice heterozygous for testicular feminization are genetic females which are converted to males by the autosomal Sxr ("sex reversed") mutation, thus imitating the Y-chromosome. They carry on one of their X-chromosomes the mutation for testicular feminization. Then, X-inactivation leads to the formation of a mosaic of androgen insensitive XTfm and androgen sensitive X+ cells. In the epididymis the Tfm cells are maintained into adulthood as undifferentiated flat cells. There are however, always less Tfm cells than expected from random X-inactivation. Therefore, in the present study the role of cell death in the modification of the original mosaic is investigated before and after castration. It is shown that survival or elimination of Tfm cells depends on the structure of the smooth muscle layers around the epididymal duct. In addition to elimination of whole Tfm sections, a steady loss of single cells, not only in the Tfm but also in the wild-type fraction occurs. In the connective tissue distinct necrotic areas are present. After castration massive necroses appear in both cell types. In Tfm sections disintegration of the wall layers again leads to elimination of Tfm cells and to protrusion of epithelial cells in the interstitium which later on may be organized as abnormal sprouts and ducts. The observations indicate that the testosterone dependent trophic principle is based on short-range intercellular interactions and presumably arises in the connective tissue component of the epididymis.
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PMID:Cell death in the mosaic epididymis of sex reversed mice, heterozygous for testicular feminization. 63 14


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